Rotary electric shaver



June 11, 1957 L. s. RITCHEY ETAL 2,795,042

ROTARY ELECTRIC SHAVER Filed Nov. 18, 1954 100/5 4 19/76/75 and @0/1/410 J Bros 5r,

United States Patent '1 2,795,04; ROTARY "ELECTRIC SHAVER Louis G. Ritche'y and Ronald I. Ritchey, Utica, Ohio Application November 18, 1954, Serial No. 469,643 4 Claims. (Cl. 39-43) The present invention relates to dry shavers and more particularly to an improved electrically powered dry shaver.

It is well'k'nown that dry shavers of the electrically powered type are old and many modifications thereof'are currently available on the market. The prior are electric shavers with which we are familiar are of complex construction and involve intricate mechanisms made up of large numbers of .parts. The complexity of construction of these devices not only made their-manufacturing costs'high-but also caused them to be more difficult andexpensive to' maintain and repair.

It is, accordingly therprimary object ofour invention to provide an improved electricshatrer that is light in weight, simple and-sturdy in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and easily-disassembled forrpurposes of cleaning and maintenance.

It is another object'of our inventionto provide an "electric shaver having a simple balanced-shearing mechanism which functions free of vibration in a highlyefiicient manner. I

It is -.afurther object of our invent-ion to provide an electricshaverhavingarota table cutting blade carrierso arranged that the blades :are self-sharpened as-the-shaver is 'used. I

These and-other objects will become moreapparent after referring to the following specification and attached drawings, in-which: V

Figure "l is a sideelevational view;

Fig. 2 is an end-view-lookingto the left of-Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view;

Figure 4 is {a cross-sectional view taken bn-the-line lV- IV of- Figure -3. 1 I

Figure '5. is a cross-sectional view taken on--the line :Figure 6 is a side elevationalview showing a modified arrangement in theposi-tioning of the cutter blades of the invention; and I v 7 Figure 7 -is-as'ideelevational view similar .to Figure 6 showing-another modified blade arrangement.

keferringsmo're particularlyto the drawings, reference numeralz designatessa substantially oval shaped combi- .projects through-thehole7. .Thehousingl is;preferably -made-oftsyntheticplastic .ma'terial suitable .to be molded into the desired ovalsshape. ,Asbest shown .in Figure 3,

=: the opening- 3 in -the end:= of V the housing 2 is directed in -a-plane disposed at an angleinexcessof 90: degrees, pref- 'erablyin the range of 120--l35.,degrees, to ;the@plane of the longitudinal axis of the. housing for a. purpose which ice .2 and extends from the housing 2 in the plane in which the open end 3 thereof is directed. The cutter head is made of thin gauge metal'and is provided with a plurality of diagonal'slots 14 through its side Wall. A bearing 16 is provided ontheinner surface of the closed end of the cutter head-for supporting one end of a cutter blade carrier.

The cutter blade carrier is'rotatably disposed'in the cutter head and includes a shaft 18 having reduced diameter' end portions. 'Two pairsof aligned arms 20, having radialslots-in the free ends thereof, are'mounted on the shaft 18. The arms in each pair are axiallyspaced from eachother and extendmormal to the shaft. The two ipairs :of arms are arranged at an angle of 180 degrees to each other and have their arms equidistantly axially spaced so as'to insure perfect balance and minimize the possibilityof vibration-while shaft 18 is rotating, If de- -sire d, more thantwo'pairsof' arms may be provided on theshaft so'longas thepairs are disposedan equal distance-apart so that the bladecarrier is perfectly balanced.

' -One reducedlend' of'the-shaft 18 is rotat'ably supported by thebea-ring-16-while-the opposite reduced end projects through thecenter-hole in the base plate 10 to extend into the interior of the housing 2.

A-cutter blade 22 is carried by each pair of arms 20 :slidab'ly fittedin the radial-end slots thereof. A helical spring 24 is-circnmferentiallymounted on each of the arms with one end bearing against the shaft 13 and the -opposite-end bearing-against the blade carried by the arm to urge thevblades radially outwardly againstthe inner surface-of -the-eutter--head wall. Two-spaced pegs 26 are attached to and project laterally from both faces of -each.-ofthe-cutter-rblades on opposite-sides of one of the --ar-mslcarrying the blade, assshown in Figure 3, or on op- :POSltC-Sl'dGS of the two-arms, as shown in Figures 6 and 7,'--for=the -purpose -of preventing axial movement of the blade. If preferred .theapegs 26 may be positioned on only one face of each blade.

-A bevel=gear 28-1s mounted on'their educed end portion :of sthe shaft 18 which projects into the interior of the-housing 2 and isrin mesh with; abev el gear 30 which is affixed to the end of the motor drive shaft 6 which projects-through the .hole 7 in the partition 5 for trans- ,rnittingrotativespower from the motor 4 to the rotatable shaft :18; it is preferred that the bevel, gears 28 and 30 .be made of,fiberxor.similar material which is self-lubricating so-that it will notbenecessary toprovide a poolof .oil or other lubricant in the compartment 9 of the housing 2 which is defined by the partition 5 and the base .plate 10.

.Thecutting edgesofthe blades 22-are disposed normal .to -the inner surface of .the'thin side wall of the cutter head andsareurged radially thereagainst-by the pressure of the helical tsprings 24 so that, as theblade carrier is rotated,.the cuttingblades, in cooperation with-the slots .14, exert va .slicing action on the'hairs which project through .thexslots as theshaver is moved along the face of the user. This slicing 'action results in faster and =-more e'ificient-shaving. The arrangement whereby the ,cutting edges-are always-in contact with'theinner sur- --.face.of the side wall-ofithe cutter head causes the cutter 'will become-manifest as this=description-proceeds V The motor 4 is of smallsize andsofe'the type presently widely used. for powering dry shavers. Electric current is suppliedkto {the motor in the;conventional-pmanner by means ontothe base plate 10 by its internally threadedopenend vblades to5be self-sharpening asthe blade carrier rotates in :use.

:It willbe noted that ,the cutter head 12 may be easily removed from the baseplate 10 simply by unscrewing it fromthe circumferentialthreads on-the plate so that the instrumentmay bev easilycleaned and maintained.

The angulated dispositionof the cutter head relative ,tothejhandlebousing makesfit possible for the user to 'comfortablylhold ithe shave'r gand move the cutter head along the'bear'ded area of 1 his face without obstructing "his ,view in a'mirror. t

While one embodiment of our invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. An electric shaver comprising a housing having an opening in one end, an electric motor in said housing, a drive shaft on said motor extending co-axially of said housing toward said opening, a hollow cutter head removably attached to said one end of said housing,'said cutter head being cylindrical in shape and having a plurality of spaced diagonal slots through the side wall thereof, a blade carrier rotatably disposed in said cutter head, said blade, carrier including a shaft rotatably mounted in said cutter head, a first pair of aligned arms on said last-mentioned shaft extending in close proximity tonormal thereto in axially spacedrelation to each other, each of said arms having a radial slot therein, a second pair of aligned arms on said last-mentioned shaft extending in close proximity to normal thereto in axially spaced relation to each other, said second pair of arms arranged at an angle to the first pair of arms, each of said second pair of arms having a radial slot therein, a cutter blade adapted to be received in the slots of said first pair of arms, a second cutter blade adapted to be received in the slots of said second pair of arms, means for preventing axial movement of said blades in said slots, said means consisting of at least two spaced pegs attached to and projecting laterally from each of said cutter blades, the pegs on each of said blades disposed adjacent opposite sides of at least one of the arms carrying the blade, spring means bearing against said cutter blades to urge them radially outward, and means connecting said blade carrier with the shaft of said motor for rotating said blade carrier.

2. An electric shaver comprising a housing having an opening in one end, an electric motor in said housing, a drive shaft on said motor extending co-axially of said housing toward said opening, a hollow cutter head removably attached to said one end of said housing, said cutter head being cylindrical in shape andhaving a plurality of spaced diagonal slots through the side wall thereof, a blade carrier rotatably disposed in said cutter head, said blade carrier including a shaft rotatably mounted in said cutter head, a first pair of aligned arms on said last-mentioned shaft extending in close proximity to normal thereto in and axially spaced relation to each otheneach of said arms having a radial slot in the outer end thereof, a second pair of aligned arms on said lastmentioned shaft extending in close proximity to normal thereto in axially spaced relation to each other, said second pair of arms arranged at an angle of approximately 180 degrees to the first pair of arms, each of said second pair of arms having a radial slot in the outer end thereof, a cutter blade adapted to be received in the slots of said first pair of arms, a second cutter blade adapted to be received in the slots of said second pair of arms, means for preventing axial movement of said blades in said slots, said means consisting of at least two spaced pegs attached to and projecting laterally from each of said cutter blades, the pegs on each of said blades disposed adjacent opposite sides of at least one of the arms; carrying the blade, a helical spring surrounding each of said'arms with one end bearing against said shaft and the opposite end bearing against the bottom of the cutter blade carried by the arm to urge the blades radiallyoutward, and means connecting said blade carrier with the shaft of said motor for rotating said blade carrier.

3. An electric shaver comprising a housing having an opening in one end, an electric motor in said housing, a drive shaft on said motor extending co-axially of said housing toward said opening, a gear on the end of said shaft remote from said motor, an externally threaded base plate having a center hole therethrough detachably aflixed to said one end of said housing and covering said opening with said hole communicating with said opening, a hollow cutter head having an internally threaded open end and a closed end threaded on said plate by its internally threaded open end, a bearing on the inner surface of said closed end, said cutter head being cylindrical in shape and, having a plurality of spaced diagonal slots through the side wall thereof, a blade carrier rotatably disposed in said cutter head, said blade carrier including a shaft having reduced diameter end portions rotatably mounted in said cutter head with one end rotatably supported in said bearing and its opposite end projecting through the hole in said base plate with a portion thereof projecting into said housing, a first pair of aligned arms on said shaft extending in close proximity to normal thereto in axially spaced relation to each other, each of said arms having a radial slot in the outer end thereof, a second pair of aligned arms on said shaft extending in close proximity to normal thereto in axially spaced relation to each other, each of said second pair of arms having a radial slot in the outer end thereof, said second pair of arms arranged at an angle of approximately 180 degrees to the first pair of arms, a cutter blade slidably mounted in the slots of said first pair of arms, a second cutter blade slidably mounted in the slots of said second pair of arms, means for preventing axial movement of said blades in said slots, said means consisting of at least two spaced pegs attached to and projecting laterally from each of said cutter blades, the pegs on each of said blades disposed adjacent opposite sides of at least one of the arms carrying the blade, a helical spring surrounding each of said arms with one end bearing against said shaft and the opposite end bearing against the bottom of the cutter blade carried by the arm to urge the blades radially outward, and a gear on the projecting end of said shaft adapted to mesh with the gear on the end of said motor drive shaft to thereby rotate said blade carrier.

4. An electric shaver comprising a housing having an opening in one end, an electric motor in said housing, a

' partition in said housing spaced inwardly from said opening, a drive shaft on said motor extending co-axially of said housing through an opening in said partition toward first named opening in said housing, a gear on the end of said shaft remote from said motor, an externally threaded base plate having a center hole therethrough detachably afiixed to said one end of said housing and covering said housing opening with said center hole communicating with said housing opening, a hollow cutter head having an internally threaded open end and a closed end threaded on said plate by its internally threaded open end, the longitudinal axis of said cutter head disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said housing, a bearing on the inner surface of said closed end, said cutter head being cylindrical in shape and having a plurality of spaced diagonal slots through the side wall thereof, a blade carrier rotatably disposed in said cutter head, said blade carrier including a shaft rotatably mounted in said cutter head co-axially therewith with one end rotatably supported in said bearing and its opposite end projecting through the hole in said base plate with a portion thereof projecting, into said housing, means on said last-named shaft for supporting a pair of cutter blades spaced axially around said last-named shaft, and a gear on the projecting end of said shaft adapted to mesh with the gear on the end of said motor drive shaft to thereby rotate said blade carrier; said gears disposed in the compartment defined by said partition and said base plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,265,281 Hale Dec. 9, 1941 2,289,323 Dettle July 7, 1942 2,555,621 Williamson et a1 June 5, 1951 j FOREIGN PATENTS 254,608 Switzerland Dec. 16, 1948 

